Dan Marino, Sonny Jurgensen and the Most Seasons Leading the NFL in Passing Yards

Dan Marino And Sonny Jurgensen Won Five Passing Titles

Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Dan Marino?

Not today.

Ask yourself which quarterbacks have won the most passing titles (here, meaning single-season leaderships in passing yards), and those four players would most likely be on your short list of answers.

But of those four all-time QBs, only Marino led the league in passing five times. Surprisingly, Brady and Favre have just two crowns to their credit.

Manning has three, including last season – but don’t count on him getting his fourth in 2014. Andrew Luck is the current NFL leader in passing yards and could win his first. Manning is not far away, though, as of the date of this post (after Week 13 of 2014).

Anyway – back to the top, and one more bit of a surprise. The Philadelphia Eagles / Washington Redskins‘ Sonny Jurgensen is the only other quarterback with five passing titles.

Four QBs have led the league four times, including active New Orleans Saint, Drew Brees. He’s in the running for his fifth, less than 300 yards from Luck.

Every quarterback who led the league, going back to 1932 (when it started making sense to track passing yardage), is listed below. Before that, football was mostly played on the ground, and quarterbacks didn’t even reach the 500-passing yards mark.

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	QUARTERBACK	PASSING TITLES	SEASONS	YARDS	TEAM
1.	Dan Marino	5	1984	5,084	Miami Dolphins
			1985	4,137	Miami Dolphins
			1986	4,746	Miami Dolphins
			1988	4,434	Miami Dolphins
			1992	4,116	Miami Dolphins
1.	Sonny Jurgensen	5	1961	3,723	Philadelphia Eagles
			1962	3,261	Philadelphia Eagles
			1966	3,209	Washington Redskins
			1967	3,747	Washington Redskins
			1969	3,102	Washington Redskins
3.	Dan Fouts	4	1979	4,082	San Diego Chargers
			1980	4,715	San Diego Chargers
			1981	4,802	San Diego Chargers
			1982	2,883	San Diego Chargers
3.	Drew Brees	4	2006	4,418	New Orleans Saints
			2008	5,069	New Orleans Saints
			2011	5,476	New Orleans Saints
			2012	5,177	New Orleans Saints
3.	Johnny Unitas	4	1957	2,550	Baltimore Colts
			1959	2,899	Baltimore Colts
			1960	3,099	Baltimore Colts
			1963	3,481	Baltimore Colts
3.	Sammy Baugh	4	1937	1,127	Washington Redskins
			1940	1,367	Washington Redskins
			1947	2,938	Washington Redskins
			1948	2,599	Washington Redskins
7.	Arnie Herber	3	1932	639	Green Bay Packers
			1934	799	Green Bay Packers
			1936	1,239	Green Bay Packers
7.	John Brodie	3	1965	3,112	San Francisco 49ers
			1968	3,020	San Francisco 49ers
			1970	2,941	San Francisco 49ers
7.	Peyton Manning	3	2000	4,413	Indianapolis Colts
			2003	4,267	Indianapolis Colts
			2013	5,477	Denver Broncos
7.	Sid Luckman	3	1943	2,194	Chicago Bears
			1945	1,727	Chicago Bears
			1946	1,826	Chicago Bears
11.	Bobby Layne	2	1950	2,323	Detroit Lions
			1951	2,403	Detroit Lions
11.	Brett Favre	2	1995	4,413	Green Bay Packers
			1998	4,212	Green Bay Packers
11.	Cecil Isbell	2	1941	1,479	Green Bay Packers
			1942	2,021	Green Bay Packers
11.	Ken Anderson	2	1974	2,667	Cincinnati Bengals
			1975	3,169	Cincinnati Bengals
11.	Otto Graham	2	1952	2,816	Cleveland Browns
			1953	2,722	Cleveland Browns
11.	Tom Brady	2	2005	4,110	New England Patriots
			2007	4,806	New England Patriots
11.	Warren Moon	2	1990	4,689	Houston Oilers
			1991	4,690	Houston Oilers
15.	Ace Parker	1	1938	865	Brooklyn Dodgers
15.	Bert Jones	1	1976	3,104	Baltimore Colts
15.	Billy Wade	1	1958	2,875	Los Angeles Rams
15.	Charley Johnson	1	1964	3,045	St. Louis Cardinals
15.	Daunte Culpepper	1	2004	4,717	Minnesota Vikings
15.	Davey O’Brien	1	1939	1,324	Philadelphia Eagles
15.	Don Majkowski	1	1989	4,318	Green Bay Packers
15.	Drew Bledsoe	1	1994	4,555	New England Patriots
15.	Ed Danowski	1	1935	794	New York Giants
15.	Fran Tarkenton	1	1978	3,468	Minnesota Vikings
15.	Harry Newman	1	1933	973	New York Giants
15.	Irv Comp	1	1944	1,159	Green Bay Packers
15.	Jeff George	1	1997	3,917	Oakland Raiders
15.	Jim Finks	1	1955	2,270	Pittsburgh Steelers
15.	Joe Ferguson	1	1977	2,803	Buffalo Bills
15.	Joe Namath	1	1972	2,816	New York Jets
15.	John Elway	1	1993	4,030	Denver Broncos
15.	John Hadl	1	1971	3,075	San Diego Chargers
15.	Johnny Lujack	1	1949	2,658	Chicago Bears
15.	Kurt Warner	1	2001	4,830	St. Louis Rams
15.	Lynn Dickey	1	1983	4,458	Green Bay Packers
15.	Mark Brunell	1	1996	4,367	Jacksonville Jaguars
15.	Matt Schaub	1	2009	4,770	Houston Texans
15.	Neil Lomax	1	1987	3,387	St. Louis Cardinals
15.	Norm Van Brocklin	1	1954	2,637	Los Angeles Rams
15.	Philip Rivers	1	2010	4,710	San Diego Chargers
15.	Rich Gannon	1	2002	4,689	Oakland Raiders
15.	Roman Gabriel	1	1973	3,219	Philadelphia Eagles
15.	Steve Beuerlein	1	1999	4,436	Carolina Panthers
15.	Tobin Rote	1	1956	2,203	Green Bay Packers

Photos: espn.com / acc.blogs.starnewsonline.com

Top 20 Quarterbacks with the Most Passing Yards in Super Bowl History

	QUARTERBACK	YARDS	TEAM	SUPER BOWLS
1.	Tom Brady	1,277	New England Patriots	5
2.	Kurt Warner	1,156	St. Louis Rams / Arizona Cardinals	3
3.	Joe Montana	1,142	San Francisco 49ers	4
4.	John Elway	1,128	Denver Broncos	5
5.	Terry Bradshaw	932	Pittsburgh Steelers	4
6.	Jim Kelly	829	Buffalo Bills	4
7.	Roger Staubach	734	Dallas Cowboys	4
8.	Troy Aikman	689	Dallas Cowboys	3
9.	Ben Roethlisberger	642	Pittsburgh Steelers	3
10.	Peyton Manning	580	Indianapolis Colts	2
11.	Eli Manning	551	New York Giants	2
12.	Brett Favre	502	Green Bay Packers	2
13.	Fran Tarkenton	489	Minnesota Vikings	3
14.	Bart Starr	452	Green Bay Packers	2
15.	Jim Plunkett	433	Los Angeles Raiders	2
16.	Joe Theismann	386	Washington Redskins	2
17.	Donovan McNabb	357	Philadelphia Eagles	1
18.	Len Dawson	353	Kansas City Chiefs	2
19.	Steve Young	345	San Francisco 49ers	2
20.	Doug Williams	340	Washington Redskins	1

NFL: League Per-Game and Total Passing Yards By Season (1932-2013)

Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Passing Quarterbacks Still Rule the NFL Today, Despite the Recent Proliferation of the New, Young, Multi-Tooled Prototype (Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III)

Let’s pile on more evidence that the NFL has gone pass-happy the past 30 years. Here is a rundown of every season’s total passing yards across the league and, for greater accuracy, the average passing yards per game – since 1932.

You need the latter to account for the increase in the number of active teams over time. Back in 1932, there were only eight teams who combined for just over 5,000 yards. Tom Brady (twice), Drew Brees (twice) and Dan Marino have each thrown for 5,000 yards in a single season by themselves.

Last season, the NFL’s 32 teams combined for over 118,000 passing yards, the most ever.

Since about 1980, the NFL has seen an explosion in passing. 1981 was the first year the league averaged over 200 yards thrown a game. It’s been par for the course 28 of the last 32 seasons now and each of the last 20, regardless of how many teams in the league.

The average number of passing yards per game has also increased steadily the last five years in a row.

Where will 2013 fit into this paradigm? We’ll come back at the end of the season and see how it “passed.” In the meantime, you can see this season’s passing yardage totals here at my source, pro-football-reference.com.

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PASSING YARDS PER GAME (LEAGUE-WIDE)

SEASON	YARDS/GAME	TEAMS
2012	231.3	32
2011	229.7	32
2010	221.6	32
2009	218.5	32
2008	211.3	32
2007	214.3	32
2006	204.8	32
2005	203.5	32
2004	210.5	32
2003	200.4	32
2002	212.2	32
2001	205.8	31
2000	206.9	31
1999	212.3	31
1998	205.0	30
1997	201.8	30
1996	207.4	30
1995	220.8	30
1994	213.6	28
1993	200.6	28
1992	187.6	28
1991	199.1	28
1990	194.8	28
1989	210.9	28
1988	200.7	28
1987	203.9	28
1986	205.5	28
1985	204.5	28
1984	205.9	28
1983	204.6	28
1982	199.4	28
1981	204.4	28
1980	196.0	28
1979	180.4	28
1978	158.8	28
1977	141.9	28
1976	152.0	28
1975	162.8	26
1974	153.2	26
1973	140.9	26
1972	152.1	26
1971	155.7	26
1970	161.4	26
1969	177.5	16
1968	168.5	16
1967	179.5	16
1966	178.3	15
1965	183.8	14
1964	173.6	14
1963	185.7	14
1962	193.8	14
1961	180.5	14
1960	170.6	13
1959	169.8	12
1958	180.4	12
1957	153.4	12
1956	147.6	12
1955	159.8	12
1954	191.6	12
1953	173.8	12
1952	160.0	12
1951	162.7	12
1950	165.7	13
1949	161.0	10
1948	173.9	10
1947	180.6	10
1946	143.1	10
1945	143.8	10
1944	129.3	11
1943	141.4	10
1942	123.7	10
1941	121.8	10
1940	125.3	10
1939	128.8	10
1938	105.8	10
1937	93.0	10
1936	83.0	9
1935	79.7	9
1934	59.3	11
1933	77.9	10
1932	55.2	8

PASSING YARDS (TOTAL, LEAGUE)

SEASON	TOTAL YARDS	TEAMS
2012	118,418	32
2011	117,601	32
2010	113,450	32
2009	111,851	32
2008	108,177	32
2007	109,722	32
2006	104,861	32
2005	104,168	32
2004	107,797	32
2003	102,628	32
2002	108,661	32
2001	102,080	31
2000	102,606	31
1999	105,289	31
1998	98,384	30
1997	96,875	30
1996	99,567	30
1995	105,976	30
1994	95,694	28
1993	89,874	28
1992	84,064	28
1991	89,203	28
1990	87,249	28
1989	94,474	28
1988	89,895	28
1987	85,646	28
1986	92,081	28
1985	91,622	28
1984	92,238	28
1983	91,673	28
1982	50,256	28
1981	91,553	28
1980	87,788	28
1979	80,809	28
1978	71,158	28
1977	55,620	28
1976	59,596	28
1975	59,256	26
1974	55,781	26
1973	51,298	26
1972	55,355	26
1971	56,682	26
1970	58,745	26
1969	39,755	16
1968	37,751	16
1967	40,219	16
1966	37,436	15
1965	36,028	14
1964	34,034	14
1963	36,406	14
1962	37,987	14
1961	35,373	14
1960	26,618	13
1959	24,452	12
1958	25,972	12
1957	22,092	12
1956	21,251	12
1955	23,009	12
1954	27,593	12
1953	25,025	12
1952	23,033	12
1951	23,435	12
1950	25,856	13
1949	19,324	10
1948	20,871	10
1947	21,670	10
1946	15,736	10
1945	14,377	10
1944	12,925	11
1943	11,308	10
1942	13,608	10
1941	13,397	10
1940	13,788	10
1939	14,168	10
1938	11,641	10
1937	10,227	10
1936	8,960	9
1935	8,453	9
1934	7,117	11
1933	8,878	10
1932	5,300	8

Photo: AP/US Presswire via nfl.com